Falling For The Millionaire

“Looks as though you have a phone call to make, Melody.” Adam stood and pushed in his chair.

She grabbed her satchel from the floor. “After we have a signed contract bond, I’ll send an email to everyone with a full report.”

“Good job today.” Bob Franklin shook hands with everyone, then accompanied Melody to the door and opened it for her. “I’ll be looking for that report. Thanks.”

She nodded and slipped down the hall to her office. Once inside, she leaned back against the door and closed her eyes. Now she had to call Hudson. With a heavy sigh, she made her way across the room and plopped onto her chair as she put her satchel on the desk. She extracted her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she came to his name.

She stared at the screen, willing herself to dial the number, but she couldn’t do it yet. Instead, she bowed her head. She needed strength in order to make this call and not come across in a negative manner. This project was important to a lot of women who needed a safe place, and she couldn’t let personal feelings jeopardize it in any way. Lord, please give me wisdom where Hudson Conrick is concerned. Please provide me peace for this situation. Let me have a loving heart for all concerned.

Taking a deep breath, Melody tapped the screen. The phone began to ring while her heart raced.

“Hudson Conrick.”

His deep voice made Melody’s heart beat even faster. “Hello, Mr. Conrick. This is Melody Hammond from The Village. I’m calling to let you know that we’ve decided to award Conrick Construction the contract for the women’s shelter.”

“That’s great news! I’m looking forward to working with you on this very worthy project.”

Melody wished she could say, “me, too,” but it would be a lie. “Ian has prepared a contract bond for you or a representative from the company to sign.”

“When would be a good time for me to meet with you?”

“Contact Ian. He’s in charge of contracts.”

“I will.”

“When do you plan to start the work?” Melody wanted to prepare herself for Hudson’s presence on campus.

“I hope to sign the contract today, and we’ll get started as soon as the permits are in place.”

“Good. So we’ll talk after everything’s ready.” Melody ended the call, already eager for him to finish, so she wouldn’t have to deal with him. But this was her project and she would see it through. She’d already spent a sleepless night thinking about today’s decision. Now it was done.

She walked to the window and stared out at the quad. The sun glinted off the water cascading in the fountain. Bare-branched trees lifted their limbs into the blue sky. The mild winter weather reminded her of the night she’d gone out with Hudson. She couldn’t deny that she’d enjoyed the evening. It would be so easy to accept another date with him, but she couldn’t let herself get tangled up with a man who liked to take chances, or a wealthy man who used his money and influence to get what he wanted.

Hudson was every bit that person.

But she knew she wasn’t being fair to him. She couldn’t go into the project with a negative attitude. Prayer. That was what she needed again. It had helped her through the phone conversation. It would help her again while she worked with him.

Lord, help me to see Hudson through Your eyes and not my own. Help us to have a good working relationship so this project can move forward in a way that is pleasing to You.

When she raised her head, she tried to analyze why she was on pins and needles. The answer wasn’t hard to find. Hudson represented a temptation she wasn’t sure she could resist, despite her fears. She would be strong and determined. She wouldn’t succumb to his appeals no matter how attractive. Now she had things to do and didn’t have time to worry about Hudson’s presence on campus.

An hour later, completely absorbed in her paperwork, Melody jumped when a knock sounded on the door. “Come in.”

Ian poked his head around the door. “I need a witness while Hudson signs the papers.”

“Sure.” Melody moved with deliberate slowness as she prepared to meet Hudson. When she walked into Ian’s office, her calm preparation fled. Hudson’s handsome face and lazy smile made her pulse thunder just like the night of their date.

“Hello, Melody.”

She took a deep breath. “You got here quickly.”

“Would I be in trouble if I told you I was in a hurry to see you?”

“You would probably be better off if you told me you were in a hurry to sign the contract bond.”

His smile spread into a grin. “That, too.”

Not daring to look at Ian, Melody headed toward her desk and wondered what he thought of Hudson’s comments. “Okay. I’m ready to witness.”

Hudson looked so at ease, and she was tied in knots for no reason at all—at least, any reason that made sense. Why was she letting him make her so nervous?

In a matter of minutes he’d put his signature on the front page and initialed the remaining ones. She signed, and Ian put his notary seal on the document.

“We’re official.” Ian shook hands with Hudson. “Congratulations again.”

Ian pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s almost time for lunch. Join me, and we can discuss the Valentine banquet.”

“Sounds good.” Hudson glanced in her direction. “You’ll be coming, too, won’t you?”

Melody let the invitation roll through her mind. She would look bad if she declined. She couldn’t avoid interacting with Hudson in the days to come, so she might as well get used to having him around. Thankfully today Ian would act as a buffer. “Certainly. Let me get my purse and jacket in my office.”

As Melody met the two men in the hallway, she said another prayer for peace of mind. When she looked up, Hudson was smiling at her as if he knew this lunch meeting wasn’t to her liking. Or was that her imagination? The future was going to be filled with a lot of prayer if today was any indication. “I’m ready.”

Hudson fell into step beside her as she headed for the door. “Are you a runner?”

“No. Why do you ask?” She scooted through the door he held open.

“You’re always in a hurry.” He gave her a wry smile.

“I’m usually racing from one part of the campus to another. So I tend to walk fast.”

“Yeah, I can hardly keep up with her.” Ian chuckled. “Lovie’s nicknamed her the Roadrunner.”

“Do you like hiking?” Hudson asked.

“I’ve never hiked.”

“You should try it.”

“No time. We’ve got a women’s shelter to build.” Melody wondered whether Hudson was trying to draw her into some group activity that she couldn’t bow out of gracefully. She kept hearing his words. I won’t press you anymore tonight, but you haven’t heard the last of me, Ms. Hammond. He was true to his word. Could she be true to hers? Hudson pointed toward the fountain as they walked by it. “What’s the deal with the green water and balloons?”

“We have a sponsor for the fountain today.” Melody stopped and looked up at the purple balloons waving in the breeze.

“What does that mean?” Hudson asked.

“Last year when The Village was in financial distress, we decided to offer people the opportunity to make a donation in order to decorate the fountain for a special occasion.” Melody started walking again. “Today’s sponsor is Brady Hewitt. You met him at the fund-raiser. He’s engaged to Adam’s daughter, Kirsten.”

Hudson nodded. “I remember them.”

“It’s his grandmother’s birthday. She’s a resident in the assisted living facility, and she loves green and lavender.”

Opening the door to the senior center, Ian eyed Hudson. “You should get to know Brady. You two have a few things in common. He was in the army and is a big car buff.”

“Yeah, good to know another army guy. I could arrange a guys’ night out—maybe a Hawks game.”

Ian nodded. “I could go for that.”

Melody took in the men’s conversation with interest. Ian treated Hudson like any other guy he knew—not like someone who came from wealth and privilege. She ought to take a lesson from her friend and remember that God looked at the heart, not on the outward appearance or one’s bank account.

“So I could sponsor this fountain if I wanted to?” Hudson looked her way, a twinkle in his eyes, as they made their way to the registration desk.

“Sure. Make a donation and one of the maintenance staff will decorate the fountain per your instructions.” Melody refused to speculate about Hudson’s thoughts. “You have something in mind?”

“I might. I’ll think about it.”

After the threesome signed in, they made their way through the cafeteria line, the two guys talking about cars and sports. When they reached the table, Hudson set his tray down, then pulled out a chair for her and helped her out of her jacket. Was he working to impress her? No. She already knew the answer.

He was a gentleman. She’d seen the evidence during their date. He didn’t have to impress anyone. When he walked into a room, people took notice. The cafeteria ladies couldn’t wait to serve him. Even the senior ladies smiled at him as he went by. Well, he could bask in the admiration of those other women. He didn’t need hers.

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